10 Times Wrestlers Went Into Business For Themselves In The Ring
8. Koji Kitao Loses The Plot
Two former sumo wrestlers went to battle on WWF and Super World Of Sports' collaborative show in Kobe, Japan in April 1991. Best known as Earthquake, Tenta drew major media attention for being a rare westerner to compete in the Japanese sumo scene, while Koji Kitao's reputation was tainted after physically abusing a junior wrestler and allegedly striking his boss' wife in 1987, leading to his expulsion from the sport.
Kitao's ill behaviour continued after transitioning to pro-wrestling, and he was fired from NJPW for insulting the Korean-born Riki Choshu with an ethnic slur in 1990.
He and Tenta ended up wrestling an uncooperative match that saw Kitao continually refuse to sell his opponent's attacks, before legitimately trying to choke John out. Tenta countered this and Koji's attempts at gouging his eyes, but he was fuming, and the crowd knew what was going on.
Recognising that Kitao was shooting, they chanted Tenta's name, which triggered Koji into legitimately kicking the referee. He was disqualified, but grabbed the microphone afterwards, screaming "wrestling is fake!" to the crowd. Unsurprisingly, Kitao was fired for the incident, with rumours suggesting that his unhappiness at being booked to lose to a less decorated sumo in Tenta led to the shoot.